Effectively securing a ladder against a utility pole, a tree, or the like has long been a safety concern. Ladders are a leading cause of fall-related fatalities and other serious injuries. Ladder inclination is the angle of the ladder from the horizontal. If the ladder inclination is too steep, the risk of injury is increased because the ladder is more likely to fall backward under load. If the ladder inclination is not steep enough, the risk that the ladder will slide out from under the ladder user increases. Additionally, the possibility of the ladder twisting or kicking-out during use poses an additional risk that the user may lose balance and fall from the ladder.
To ensure that a ladder may be ascended safely, the ladder should be placed at an angle of approximately 75° from the horizontal. However, when setting a ladder against a pole, it is difficult to determine quickly and with certainty that the angle is correct. In addition, stabilizing straps, or lashes, have been used to secure ladders to utility poles. The stabilizing straps are wrapped around the pole and secured to the rails of the ladder. Various types of ladder inclination indicators have been developed to show that the angle of the ladder is correct. However, adjusting a stabilizing strap while monitoring an inclination indicator is unnecessarily time consuming and costly in terms of both materials and worker productivity.
Consequently, a need exists for an apparatus that overcomes theses and other problems.